Outdoors

Teens to Trails high school outing club grants up for grabs

EDGECOMB, Maine — Teens to Trails is accepting applications from high school outing clubs that could earn those clubs funding or outdoor gear through its Grants-to-Clubs program.

According to a Teens to Trails press release, the organization has awarded more than 40 small grants to schools since 2008. The goal: Support outing clubs and provide opportunities that will get more teens outdoors.

With support from L.L. Bean and the Old Bug Light Charitable Foundation, the Teens to Trail grant program is open to any high school outing club in Maine. Complete application guidelines are available at teenstotrails.org/grants-clubs-program. Applications are due by Dec. 1 and recipients will be announced before their winter break.

Through the Grants-to-Clubs program, outing clubs will receive needed gear such as backpacks or snowshoes as well as funds to help with transportation or safety and skills training for leaders. Grants valued at $500 are the norm.

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“High school Outing Clubs are the most effective way we have found for engaging teens in their natural world, making safe outdoor experiences accessible to every student in the state,” said Carol Leone, Teens To Trails founder, in the release.

Seventeen clubs received assistance last year and were able to use that support to plan outdoor adventures throughout the school year.